Dark History Episode 184: The Devil's Secretaries or Scapegoats? The Witches History Erased

Host: Bailey Sarian
Date: October 1, 2025

Overview

In this compelling episode of Dark History, Bailey Sarian unearths the erased and overlooked stories of three remarkable women accused of witchcraft: Joan Wright—America’s first tried witch, Tituba—the Caribbean enslaved woman at the center of the Salem Witch Trials, and Helen Duncan—the last British woman imprisoned under witchcraft laws in 1944. Bailey explores how these women’s fates were shaped not by magic, but by how society demonized those who were different, outspoken, or simply inconvenient. With her signature mix of irreverent humor, empathy, and sharp cultural insight, Bailey shows us that witch hunts are less about real witches—and more about whom a fearful or angry society chooses to blame.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Startling “Last Witch Trial” – Helen Duncan (1944)

• Bailey’s Opening Shock:
  Bailey begins by expressing disbelief after discovering the last witch trial happened in 1944—not the 1600s (00:04).

  “Wasn't World War II happening in 1944? Huh? Well, turns out 1944, it was not a typo...The last woman tried for being a witch was put in jail less than 100 years ago!” — Bailey (00:07)

• Helen Duncan, a Scottish medium, is revealed as the last woman imprisoned under a British witchcraft law for “summoning spirits” during WWII.
• Bailey’s personal, humorous tone and anecdotes about doomscrolling make the historical content approachable.

2. America’s First Witch Trial: Joan Wright

The Early Days:

• Bailey introduces Joan Wright, born 1580s England—a left-handed midwife, dairy worker, and fortune teller (06:31).
• Being left-handed was considered suspect, “the mark of the Devil”—right is “dexter” (skillful/blessed); left is “sinister” (cursed/evil).
• Recounts the tale of Joan allegedly trapping a “witch’s spectral hand” in her butter churn, highlighting how paranoia merged with daily life (09:20).

Joan in Colonial Virginia:

• Joan emigrates to Virginia, becomes a midwife, and survives the 1622 Indigenous attack on Elizabeth City.
• Neighbors, led by Lt. Giles Allington (an insecure, bad hunter), begin blaming Joan for misfortune, connecting her left-handedness, fortune-telling, and misfortune as “witchcraft” (16:13).
• Virginia’s 1604 Witchcraft Act made it illegal to consort with spirits—Joan is tried under this law.

Outcome and Reflection:

• The official records on Joan’s trial vanish after the indictment. No verdict is known (22:45).
• Possibilities: maybe she was too valuable as a midwife or had knowledge to blackmail others.
• Notable quote:

  “She was really being put on trial for being different and a little outspoken.” — Bailey (18:29)

• Joan and her family’s lives were ruined by the trial, even though she was not executed or imprisoned.
• Bailey points out that even a so-called acquittal didn’t spare Joan from societal destruction.

3. Salem and the Scapegoat: Tituba

Who Was Tituba?

• Tituba, likely of mixed African, indigenous South American, and Caribbean heritage, is enslaved as a child and brought to Barbados, then to Salem by Samuel Parris (27:12).
• Starts as Samuel's servant in a tense, hungry, hyper-religious Puritan community wracked by paranoia.

The Spark in Salem:

• In 1692, Reverend Parris’s daughter Betty and niece Abigail begin convulsing and claim possession. They accuse Tituba (32:50).
• Tituba, understanding the desire for drama, “confesses” fantastically, describing animals, the Devil’s book, and women flying—turning the town’s hysteria against itself (34:31).
• Notable quote:

  “She wasn’t confessing to anything. She was playing the game, okay? You want a show? Fine. Buckle up. Bitches be flying.” — Bailey (35:10)

• Tituba’s stories exploit community gossip, implicating others; the witch trial hysteria explodes.
  • Bailey notes: Tituba is both a survivor and an accelerant; her actions probably saved herself (remaining in jail rather than executed), even as they inflamed the witch hunt.

Vanishing from History:

• After months in jail, someone pays Tituba’s fees; she vanishes from records completely (41:47).
• Heavily scapegoated because she was different and vulnerable.
• Notable reflection:

  "She did unleash this monsoon of hate...I respect what she did, but at the same time, she did unleash this monsoon of hate… I think it would have happened regardless, you know.” — Bailey (42:21)

• Bailey ponders the erasure of Tituba’s fate, likening her disappearance to the game “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”

Salem Stats:

• 25 died in the Salem trials: 19 hanged, 1 pressed to death, 5 died in prison (43:02).

4. The Final Witch Trial: Helen Duncan

Spiritualism and the Grieving Nation:

• Helen Duncan is born 1897 in Scotland, with alleged spiritual gifts (45:03).
• After WWI, as a medium, she offers seances to help grieving families; she wins trust by offering specific, personal knowledge.
  • Her performance escalates with the addition of “ectoplasm”—a dramatic, but fake, ooze she produces during seances for effect.
• Moves to England; her fame grows.

The HMS Barham & Government Paranoia:

• In 1941, Helen reveals in a seance that HMS Barham had been sunk—a fact censored by the British government (52:13).
• Authorities, worried about leaks or espionage, raid her show but find no evidence beyond the performance.

A Witch Hunt in Wartime:

• Instead of fraud or espionage, Helen is prosecuted under the Witchcraft Act of 1735.
• Memorable commentary:

  “In the middle of World War II… British officials are leading a witch hunt.” — Bailey (55:25)

• In court, Helen’s “ectoplasm” is revealed as cheesecloth and egg whites (58:20).
• The defense argues she believed in her powers, while the prosecution accuses her of manipulating vulnerable people.
• She is convicted, sentenced to 9 months in prison (1:00:00).
• After her release, her health suffers; she continues spiritualism quietly and dies in 1956.
• The Witchcraft Act is repealed in 1951, making Helen the last person convicted under it.
• Winston Churchill calls the trial "tomfoolery." (1:03:41)

5. Reflection: The Real Reason for Witch Hunts

• Bailey ties the case studies together, exposing how accusations scapegoated women for societal anxieties and failures.

• “Women are always taking the hit for a problem that is so much bigger than them. People are always looking for someone to blame. And unfortunately, it’s always a fucking woman… Just out here minding our business, churning butter. Next thing you know, you’re a witch.” — Bailey (1:04:16)

• She notes that witch hunts provide an easier target than dealing with real societal problems.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Spectral Butter Churn:

  “She had basically just used a butter churn to defeat Satan. You know, it’s not really something you forget about.” — Bailey (13:03)

• Tituba’s Strategy:

  “If I'm going down, you bitches are going down with me, okay?” — Bailey, on Tituba (37:05)

• WWII Witch Hunt Irony:

  “Aren't there other things to worry about here, you guys? No? Okay.” — Bailey (55:47)

• Aftermath and Erasure:

  “Her freedom definitely came at a price. Her family had to live with this horrible reputation forever and her life was never the same.” — Bailey, on Joan Wright (24:47)

• Witchcraft as Social Blame:

  “Instead of people just looking internally at themselves…people like to point the finger at someone else and call them a witch because then they don't have to face the real issue.” — Bailey (1:05:02)

Notable Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – 02:00: Bailey’s discovery about the 1944 witch trial and episode introduction
• 06:31 – 25:35: Joan Wright’s case—America’s first witch trial
• 27:12 – 43:54: Tituba and the start of the Salem Witch Trials
• 45:03 – 1:04:08: Helen Duncan, spiritualism, and the last witch trial in Britain
• 1:04:09 – 1:07:00: Bailey’s reflection on gender, blame, and witch hunts; close

Tone & Style

Bailey’s narration is witty, casual, and empathetic, combining vivid detail with cultural critique and humor. She breaks the fourth wall with asides, playful rhetorical questions, and modern analogies, making centuries-old stories feel personal and relevant.

Expert Contribution

• Professor Marianne Gibson (author of A History in 13 Trials) is cited as an expert voice, particularly offering context on Tituba’s testimony and the cultural origins of “witch” iconography.

Conclusion

Bailey Sarian masterfully reframes the “dark history” of witch hunts through the lens of gender and social power, exposing how accusations of witchcraft have repeatedly targeted those who disrupt the status quo. Through the stories of Joan, Tituba, and Helen, she underscores the dangers society faces when difference and defiance become grounds for scapegoating—reminding listeners that history’s “witches” were often just women who refused to be silent.

Next episode preview: Bailey teases a dive into the strange disappearances in the Alaska Triangle.

For Further Listening

• Earlier Dark History episodes about witchcraft and circuses (mentioned by Bailey)
• Professor Marianne Gibson’s book for academic insight

Listener Takeaway:
This episode is a spirited, all-too-relevant warning: witch hunts are never really about witches, but about who society fears, envies, or seeks to control.